Warfarin is medicine that is used to increase the time it takes for blood to clot. It belongs to a class of medicines called anticoagulants. These medicines help to prevent unwanted blood clots which may cause a stroke, heart attack or vein blockages.

Warfarin is a medicine prescribed to people at increased risk of forming blood clots. It is often given to people who have a medical condition where it is important to reduce the chance of clots forming. These conditions may be an irregular heart beat called atrial fibrillation, a blood clot in the legs or lungs, or having an artificial valve in the heart. Some people are given warfarin after they have a heart attack. There may also be other reasons a doctor has prescribed warfarin.

Warfarin is an amazingly effective medicine for reducing the complications associated with these medical conditions. It has been around since the 1950s and is taken by thousands of Australians every day. Warfarin is a bit more complicated than most other medicines to manage, but the benefits of taking it far outweigh the risks. With a little care and some good warfarin management people can continue to lead a full and active life.

In Australia there are two brands of warfarin.

They are called MAREVAN^® and COUMADIN^®. These two brands of warfarin are not the same and should not be swapped or changed unless advised to do so by a doctor.